reseeding booklet - teagasc

ContentsReseeding checklist 3

Introduction – the need for more reseeding 4

Timing of reseeding 9

Soil fertility - need soil index 3 for P and K 11

Drainage 14

Cultivation techniques 15

Management of reseeded swards 24

Weed control 26

Reseeding investment 30

Reseeding – what to watch for 31

DAFM Recommended List/Pasture Profit Index 2017 32

Written and Edited by

Staff of the Teagasc Grassland Science Department

Reseeding checklist

• Identify paddocks for reseeding (poorer performingpaddocks;lowperennialryegrasscontent)

• Soiltestandlime

• Sowingdate

• Methodofreseeding

• Sprayoffpaddock

• Prepareagoodseedbedwhencultivating

• Chooseappropriategrasscultivars

• Sowingrate

• Roll

• Slugsandotherpests

• Controlweedsearly

• Grazewhenherbagemassis1000–1200kgDM/ha

• Avoidpoachingandovergrazing

Introduction – the need for more reseedingReseeding levels in Ireland are low ranging from 250,000 acresto 320,000 acres annually; in general approximately 2 per centof our annual grassland area is reseeded.As grass is ourmainfeedduringthemaingrazingseason,andtheprimarysourceofwinter forage fromgrass silage, the low levelof reseedingmustbeaddressed.Irelandwillincreasemilkproductionfollowingtheabolitionofmilkquotasin2015,andthefocusonefficientbeefandsheepmeatproductionwasneverasimportantasit isnowduetohighinputcosts.Teagaschavedevelopedanationalgrasslanddatabase(PastureBaseIreland),andtheresultsshowthatthereishugecapacityonIrishfarmstogrowmoregrass,currentannualtonnageis13.7tDM/hafordairyfarms.Inrecentyears,onfarmgrass variety evaluation has been established, themost recentresults show close to a 2t DM/ha difference between varietieswith large differences in digestibility and grazing utilisation.The objective of this pocketbook is to outline the key points ingrasslandreseedingandtoensurefarmersmakingtheinvestmentinrenovatinggrasslandgetthebestpossibleresult.

Why reseed?Productive grassland farms must have perennial ryegrassdominated swards. Recent Moorepark research shows that oldpermanentpastureproduces,onaverage3tDM/ha/yearlessthanperennialryegrassdominatedswards.Oldpermanentpasture isup to25per cent less responsive toavailablenutrients suchasnitrogen than perennial ryegrass dominated swards. Reseedingisahighlycosteffective investment.Withregularreseedingthegrassgrowthcapacityofthefarmcanbeincreasedsubstantially;andtheannualreturnoninvestmentislarge.

Many farmers do not recognise the economic loss ofunderperformingpaddocks.Lowproducingpaddocksaregrazingpaddocks which are grazed on average 4 to 6 occasions/year.PastureBaseIrelandshowsthatthereislargevariationinthegrassgrowing capacity bothwithin and between farms in Ireland.Toimprove overall farm grass production this variation needs tobereduced.Economicallyalowproportionofperennialryegrassintheswardiscostingdairyfarmersupto€300/hainlostgrassproductionduringthegrowingseason.

Objectives of reseeding are to create swards that:• Increasetheoverallproductivityofthefarm

• Increasethecarryingcapacity(stockingrate)

• Allowhigheranimaloutput–8%highermilkoutputperhectarerelativetopermanentpasture

• Increasegrassquality

• Aremoreresponsivetofertiliser

• Increasegrassutilisation

• Allow white clover/perennial ryegrass pastures to establish

Figure 1.Oldpermanentpasture

Figure 2.Newlyreseededpasture

Reseeded swards are more productivePerennial ryegrass is a high quality feed. Figure 3 shows thegrassproductionacrossthegrazingseasonofaswardcontaining15%perennialryegrasscomparedtoaswardcontaining100percentperennialryegrass.Theswardswith100percentperennialryegrassgrew2.7 tDM/hamore than the15percentperennialryegrasssward.Mostofthedifferenceingrassproductionbetweenthetwoswardsoccursinthespringperiod,uptomid-May.Swardsthathavepoorgrassproductioninspringwillnotsupportearlyspringgrazing.Itisrecommendedthatpastureswithlessthan40percentperennialryegrassshouldbereseeded.

Figure 3. Grass production permonth (February to October) in a swardcontaining15%perennialryegrassand100%perennialryegrass.

Figure 4 shows the grass production distribution of paddockgrowthacrossafarmwhichgrewanaverageof17.4tDM/halastyear.Thisfarmreseedsonaverage8%annually,butachieved10grazings from the platform.All of this farmhas been reseededsince2005.Thehighestproducingpaddockproduced19.7tDM/ha.Postgrazingswardheightonthisfarmaveraged4.1cmin2016–thisclearlyshowshighlevelsofutilisationcanbeachievedfromreseededswards.

Figure 4. Distribution of individual paddock growth across a farmproducinganaverageof17.4tDM/ha.

Timing of reseeding MostreseedinginIrelandtakesplaceinautumn.Thismaymakesense from a feed budget perspective but it does have somenegative consequences. Soil conditions deteriorate as autumnprogresses–lowersoiltemperaturescanreduceseedgermination,andvariableweatherconditionsreducethechancesofgrazingthenewsward.Theopportunitytoapplyapost-emergencespray inautumnisalsoreducedasgroundconditionsareoftenunsuitableformachinery.Pestdamagecanalsobeaproblemintheautumn.

Springreseedingoffersfarmersgreaterflexibility.Swardsreseededinspringwillhavesimilar,orevengreater,totalherbageproductionintheyearofreseedingaswilloldpermanentpasture.Establishingwhitecloverinaspringreseedismorereliablethaninautumnduetothestabilityofsoiltemperaturesinlatespring.Postemergencespraying forweedcontrol isusuallyverysuccessfulwithspringreseedingduetofavourableweatherconditionsinsummer.

Whetherreseedinginspringorautumn,itgenerallytakesaswardaround11monthstofullyestablish,sogoodgrazingmanagementinthatearlygrowthphaseisveryimportant.

Turnaround timeThe target turnaround time inwhich to get a reseed back intoproductionshouldbe60days.Generallyfarmersareslowtoreseedpasturesbecausetheyviewthatpaddocksareoutofproductionfor too long.The time that the sward is out of production canbeminimisedbycultivating7-10daysaftersprayingoff theoldgrass–amajorfailingatfarmlevelistowaittoolongaftersprayoff. Prevailing weather conditions will influence this decision,buttheobjectivemustbetominimisethenon-productiveperiodandweatherconditions inspringaregenerallymorestableandpredictablethaninautumn.

What is important about timing in Spring and Autumn?• Sprayofftheoldsward.Ifthereareperennialweedssuchas

docksandragwortpresentuseaglyphosatespray.

• Begincultivation7-10daysaftersprayoff

• Ensure a low level of thrash in the pre-cultivation sward,particularly for minimum cultivation techniques (grazetightortopormowtightly).Trashwillbeburiedifploughing.

• Targetashortturnaroundtime-<60days

• Useapostemergencesprayearly(5-6weekspostsowing/attheseedlingstageofweeds)

• Ensure a firm seed bed, irrespective of reseedingmethodused

• Roll to ensure seed to soil contact, even if rolling isn’tpossibleatsowing,rollbeforefirstgrazing–otherwiselooseplantswillgetpulledatgrazing

• Monitor for pest attack, especially in autumn (slugs,leatherjackets,fritflyandrabbitsarethemainthreats)

Soil fertility - need soil index 3 for P and KReseedingcanimprovetheproductivityofasward;however,forittohavemaximumeffectsoilfertilitymustbecorrect.Gettingsoilfertilityrightiscrucialifperennialryegrassistoestablishwellandpersist after reseeding. Soil testing provides information on thesoilfertilitystatusofafieldorpaddock.Oncesoiltestresultsareavailable,appropriateapplicationsofP,Kandlimecanbemadetoensureadequatesoilfertilityforperennialryegrassgermination,establishmentandproduction.

Getting soil fertility right• SoiltestforP,Kandlimerequirements(pH)beforereseeding

• Soiltestintheautumnbeforeplannedreseeding

• Makesuretotesttoanadequatesoildepth–10cm

• ThetargetsoilpHis6.3formineralsoilsandpH5.5forpeatsoils

• Do not apply more than 7.5 t lime/ha (3 t/ac) in a singleapplication

• PandKmustbebroughtuptosoilIndex3

• Nisessentialforgoodgrassestablishmentandgrowth

• Apply40kgN/ha(30unitsN/ac)whenreseeding

• Afterploughingpermanentpastureforreseeding,paddocksshouldbesoiltestedagainthefollowingyeartoensurethatthefertilityofthesoilbroughttothesurfacebyploughingiscorrectforgrassgrowth.

Phosphorus and potassium Phosphorus(P)isessentialforrootdevelopment.Itisimmobileinthesoil,andiftheyoungseedlingrootsaretogetadequateP,theremustbeanabundanceofthiselementdispersedinthesoil.Table1showsthePandKrequirementswhenreseedinggrasslandatthedifferentPandKindexlevels.Table 1.PandKratesrequiredforpastureestablishment

Soil P Index

Soil P range (Morgan’s mg/l)

P application rate (kg/ha)

1 0.0-3.0 60

2 3.1-5.0 40

3 5.1-8.0 30

4 >8.0 0

Soil K Index

Soil K ranges (mg/l) K application rate (kg/ha)

1 0-50 110

2 51-100 75

3 101-150 50

4 >150 30

An additional 15 kg P/ha is permitted in addition to normalallowancesforreseededgrasslandonindex1,2and3soils.TheseadviceratesmustbecheckedagainsttotalannualPallowancesforthefarmunderNitratesrules.

The value of slurry

Slurryisagoodoptiontomaintainsoilnutrientstatus.Withtheincreasedcostofcompounds(PandK)slurryshouldbeusedwhenreseedingtoreplacesomeofthePandKfertiliser.AtsoilIndex3,3-4,000gals/acreofslurryissufficienttosupplyrequiredPandKnutrients.

DrainagePerennial ryegrass will struggle to persist in wet soil

Onheavysoilstherateofwaterinfiltrationissignificantlyreducedcomparedtofreedrainingsoils,resultinginasignificantreductionin grass production and utilisation. Land drainage can improvethewatermovementoffapaddockorfield.Landdrainagemustbe approached in a strategic and plannedmanner if it is to beofbenefit to theproductivityof the farm.Allother landon thefarmshouldbehighlyproductivebeforeattemptingtodrainandreclaimwetland.Soilfertilitymustbeaddressedbeforedrainageandreseeding.Whenundertakinglanddrainage,itisbesttoinvestinthoseareasthatwillgivethegreatestreturnintermsofgrassproductionandutilisation.• Cleanall fences,cuthedgesandcleanoutolddrainsbefore

reseeding

• Undertakedrainagebeforereseeding

• Propersiteandsoilassessmentmustbeundertaken

• Digtestpit(s)toidentifydrainageproblems

• Soilfertilitymustbecorrected

• Goodfarminfrastructureshouldbeinplace

• Select appropriate drainage system to address the problemspecifictothefield

• Shallow drainage system (e.g. mole drains) – use on veryimpermeablesoil

• Groundwaterdrainagesystem–usewherethereisapermeablelayerinthesoil(identifiedthroughatestpit)(Ref.MooreparkDairyLevy Research Update, Series 20 “Land Drainage - A Farmer’sPracticalGuidetoDrainingGrasslandinIreland”)

Cultivation techniquesHowpaddocksareprepared for reseedingdependson soil type,amountofunderlyingstoneandmachine/contractoravailability.There are many different cultivation and sowing methodsavailable. All methods, when completed correctly, are equallyeffective.

Key points• Soiltest

• Sprayoffoldsward–acontactspraycanbeusedifthereareno perennialweeds; glyphosate should be used if perennialweedssuchasdocksandragwortarepresent.

• Grazeswardtightlyormowtominimisesurfacetrash

• Applylime

• Chooseacultivationmethodthatsuitsyourfarm

• Applyfertiliser

• Firmfineseedbedwithgoodseed/soilcontactisessential

• Rollaftersowing

Cultivation techniques

Do’s Do not’s

Ploughing Shallowplough.Developafine,firmandlevelseedbed

Ploughtoodeep(>15cm).Cloddy,looseseedbed

Discing Grazetight.2-3passesinangleddirections.Applylime

Drivewithfastforwardspeed-rough,unevenseedbed

One-pass Grazetight,applylime.Slowforwardspeedatcultivation

Drivewithfastforwardspeed-rough,patchyseedbed

Directdrill Grazetight,applylimeandslugpellets.Waitformoistgroundconditions(slightcutinground)

‘Trashy’seedbed-noseed/soilcontact.Usewhengroundisdryandhard

Ploughing• Avoidploughingtoodeep(>15cm)asthiscanburythetop

layerofsoil(themostfertilesoil)

• Uselandlevelleruntilanevenseedbedisgenerated

• Aimtodevelopafine,firmandlevelseedbed

• If seedbed is cloddy and loose, grass seed (and especiallywhite clover seed) will be buried too deep and will notgerminate

• Plough/Spread Lime/Land Level/Spread Fertiliser/One pass with Seed/Roll

Discing and One-pass • Aimfor2/3passesofthedischarrowinangleddirections

tobreakthesodandturnupenoughsoiltoformaseedbed

• Forwardspeedmustnotbeexcessiveasitcanleadtorough,unevenseedbeds

• Disc (2-3 passes)/Land Level/Spread Lime and Fertiliser/One pass with Seed/Roll

Useaheavydischarrowtodotheprimarycultivationfollowedbyafinalpasswithapowerharrowthatcanalsobefittedwithaseedboxtotillandsowwitha‘Onepass’.

One-pass• Theslowertheforwardspeedofthemachinethebetterin

termsoffinish

• Often left rough and patchy due to operatorsmoving toofastacrossfields

• Spread Lime/One Pass (twice) with Seed (on second run)/ Spread Fertiliser Between One Pass Runs (if possible)/Roll

Useshallowsurfacecultivationwitharotarypowerharrowtoproducea seed bedwith seed sownusing an air seeder attached to the powerharrow.

Direct Drill• Difficultenvironmentforseedstoestablishinasthereisno

cultivationofthesoil

• Aslight‘cut’inthegroundwillallowmoreseed/soilcontact

• Resultscanbevariable

• Notsuitableondry,hardground

• Needtouseslugpellets

• Moresusceptibletoscutchgrassre-establishing

• Spread Lime + Fertiliser/Direct drill

Effect of reseeding method on grass productionTheeffectofreseedingmethodhasbeeninvestigatedatMoorepark.Figure5showsthat,whencomparedonaproportionatebasistoploughingsetat1.0,thediscmethodwasequalintermsofgrassproduction,withtheone-passmethodslightlybehindat0.94andthedirectdrillmethodat0.87.

Figure 5. Comparisonofreseedingmethodsintermsofgrassproductionpotential.

Variety choice

Key traits

Use the DAFM Recommended List/Pasture Profit Index 2017 toidentify suitable varieties.Varieties listed in the RecommendedListhavebeenevaluatedacrossyearsandsitesandaretheonlyevidenceavailableofthepotentialperformanceofgrassvarietiesinIreland.

The key traits in a seasonal grass based production system are:• Highseasonalproduction

• Highquality

• Goodpersistencyscore

When the decision to reseed is made, the nextmajor decisionis selecting themost appropriate grass variety or varieties.Thefirstthingtoconsider istheprimarytargetuseofthefield. Is itpredominantlygrazingorisitgenerallyusedasasilagepaddock?Howmuchtetraploidshouldbeused?Abalancebetweenquality,drymatterproductivityandswarddensityisgenerallywhatmustbeachieved.

Differences between diploid and tetraploid varieties

Tetraploid varieties Diploid varieties

Talluprightgrowthhabit Prostrategrowthhabit

Createmore‘open’sward Createadenserswardwithless“open”spaces

Higherdigestibilityvalue Generallylowerdigestibilityandyield

Combiningdiploidsandtetraploidsinamixturewillcreateadense,high quality sward – ensure you select varieties which expresshighperformance in thekey traits. Increasing theproportionofdiploidsonheaviersoilsisrecommendedtocreatebettergroundcover.

Key points when formulating a grass mixture• Decide what the end use is – grazing or silage – formulate

basedonthis

• Focusonthekeytraitsincreasetheproportionofthevarietieswiththekeytraits

• Minimumof3kgofanindividualvariety

• Thereshouldbenomorethanthreetofourvarietiesinagrassmix

• Sow35kg/ha(14kg/ac)ofseed

• Lessthan7daysrangeinheadingdatebetweenvarieties

Grazing specific mixtures• Varieties exhibiting high simulated grazing yields in

RecommendedLists

• Highseasonalgrowthtoextendgrazingseason

• Varietieswithhighdigestibilityvalues

• Use35-50percenttetraploidvarietiesinmixturesondrysoils

• Use15-20per centofhighlypersistent tetraploidsonheavysoils

• Medium leaf white clovers for dairy cows/cattle, small leafwhitecloversforsheep

Silage specific mixtures, e.g. 2-cut system• Varietieswhichexhibithighsilageyields(especiallyfirstcut)

inRecommendedLists

• 40%tetraploid(lessonheavysoils)

• Ensureproximityofheadingdates

• Avoidpoorlypersistenttetraploids

Choosing the right white clover cultivar

Whiteclover isused ingrazedgrassland.Whiteclovercultivarsarecategorisedbyleafsize.

Small leaf white clover• Loweryielding

• Morepersistent

• Tolerantoftightgrazing,e.g.sheepgrazing

Medium leaf white clover• Intermediateforyieldandpersistency

• Suitableforcattlegrazing

Large leaf white clover• Higheryielding

• Aggressiveandcandominateasward

Smallleafwhitecloversarerecommendedforsheepgrazingandmediumleafwhitecloversfordairyorbeefcattlegrazing.

Ingeneraltoestablishaswardwith>25%whiteclover,whichisthelevelrequiredforananimalproductionbenefit,4-5kgwhitecloverseed/ha(1.5-2kg/ac)shouldbeincludedintheseedmix.

Alternatives to perennial ryegrassHybrid and Italian ryegrasses are an alternative to perennialryegrass but are more suited to silage systems. Both are lesspersistentandhavelowermid-seasondigestibilitythanperennialryegrass, but have a higher annual yield. Hybrid and Italianryegrasses have a shorter lifespan than perennial ryegrass,generally2to4years.

Management of reseeded swards

Ittakesabout11monthsforanewswardtoestablish;thereforethemanagementofthereseedinthisperiodisimportant.

Management of New Reseeds

Do’s Do not’s

First8weeks

Sprayweedsbeforegrazing

Grazewhengrassisat2leafstage

NitrogenandP&K

Slugpellets(ifrequired)

Grazeathighcover(>1200kgDM/ha)

Donotharvestforsilage

Secondgrazingonwards

Grazeat1,000-1,400kgDM/ha(6-7cm)

Re-sprayweedsifnecessary

Allowhighcoverstodevelop

Grazeinreallydryorwetconditions

Autumn Keepgrazingat1,200-1,400kgDM/ha

Grazeoffwellbeforefirstwinter(<4cm)

Lightslurryapplication

Overgrazeorpoach

Applyexcessiveslurry

Secondyear

Ensurethenewswardreceivesadequatenitrogen

MonitorsoilPandKstatus

Overgrazeorpoach

Graze the new reseed as soon as the plants do not pull out of the ground, approximately 700 – 1000 kg DM/ha. It is especiallyimportantthatautumnreseedsaregrazedbeforethefirstwinter.

Thefirstgrazingdoesnothavetobecompletedbythemaingrazingherd,calvesoryoungstockmaybeabetteroption,particularlyduringpoorgrazingconditions.

All the benefits of reseeding can be lost after sowing due to:• Poorsoilfertility-poorestablishmentandtillering

• Grazingathighgrasscoversorcuttingforsilage–tiller/plantdeath

• Weedinfestation(especiallydocks)–lossofgroundcover

• Pestattack(fritfly,leatherjacketsandslugs)–tiller/plantdeath

• Poaching–don’tdamagenewreseeds

Tillering• Tillering is the production of new grass plants by themain

grassplantestablishedfromtheseed

• Theprocessof grass tillering is critical for successful swardestablishment

• Tilleringhelpsreducethespaceavailableforweeds

• Toencouragetillering:

• Apply40kgN/ha3-4weeksaftersowing

• Grazethereseedwhenitisabout6-7cmhigh

• Continuetograzethereseedinthefirstyearofproduction

• Avoidcuttingthenewreseedforsilageinthefirstyear(ifpossible)

Weed control• Weedsinnewreseedsarebestcontrolledwhenthegrassis

atthe2-3leafstage

• Docks and chickweed are the twomost critical weeds tocontrolinreseeds

• Highpopulationsofotherweedssuchasfathen,charlock,redshank, mayweed can cause problems (see HerbicideGuide)

• Itisessentialtocontroldocksandchickweedattheseedlingstageandthisisachievedbyapplyingaherbicidebeforethefirstgrazing

• To achieve the best lifetime control of docks in a sward,eradicatingthedockatseedlingstageinareseedisthebestopportunity

• Herbicide choice for dock control will depend on thepresenceofwhitecloverinthereseed

• Chickweed can be a problem particularly where regulargrazingisnotexpectedtotakeplace(silagefields),thereforeherbicidechoiceisimportant

• You should consult your local adviser or merchantrepresentativeforcorrectherbicidechoice

• Remembertokeeptheprescribedcross-compliancerecordsandfollowtheinstructionsontheproductlabel

• PesticideusersmustcomplywiththeregulationsasoutlinedintheSustainableUseDirective(SUD).

Herbicides in New LeysHerbicide Guide

Weed Problem

Trade Name

Clover Safe

Pack Size

Rate/Ha

Comment

Docksandmostotherlessimportantweeds

Underclearetc.

YES 10L 7L/ha Controlsmoderatelevelsofdocks,thistles,chickweed,etc.andmostannualweeds.

LegumexDBUndersown

DBPlus

CloverMAXetc.

YES 5L 7L/ha Similarweedscontrolledasabovebutweakeronchickweedandcertainannualweeds.

DocksandChickweed

LegumexDB

+

Triad

YES 5L

5tabs

5.0L/ha

+

10g/ha

SimilarweedscontrolledasUnderclearetc.

AddTriadtothetankfirstandthenLegumexDB.

BinderHurler,Reaper,HighloadMircametc.

NO 1L 0.75L Usewheredocksandchickweedareinhighnumbers

Applyfrom3leafgrassstage

Seedling Broad-leaved Dock

Photoofseedlingdocktakenfiveweeksafterreseeding

Seedling Chickweed

Phototakenfiveweeksafterreseeding

Pest AttackThe three most significant pests of reseeds are:• Fritfly

• Leatherjackets

• Slugs

Frit Fly

FritFlyismostprevalentinautumnafteradrysummer,andinreseededswardswithhighlevelsofdebris(minimumcultivation).• Themaggots(larvae)boreoutthecentreshoot

• Thecentreshootwillturnyellowandtheplantdies

• Newgrasssownaftergrassorgrassycerealgroundismostatrisk

• Reseedingcarriedoutbydirectdrillingisalsoatrisk

Control involves:• Leavinggroundunsown for 6+weeksafterploughing (nota

verypracticaloption)

• Sprayinga suitable insecticide (Decis forexample) if 10%ormoreofshootsofplantsaredamaged*

*Walkdiagonallyacrossthefieldandtug100centralshootsofnewplants.If10%ofshootspullawayeasilyapplyaninsecticide.Youmayneedtoconsultyourlocaladviserormerchantrepresentative.

Leatherjacket

Leatherjacketismostactiveinwetter/heaviersoils.Leatherjacketdamageischaracterisedbydeadplantsonthesoilsurface.Ensureto roll the reseeded field is very important, firm seedbed willreducetheimpactsofleatherjackets.Uptothetimeoftilleringisthehighestrisktime,sotryandensuretheswardmovestothisstageasfastaspossible.

Slug

Slugattackismostprevalentduringwetweatherorwherefieldstend tobedamp,suchasheadlandareas.Havinghigh levelsoftrashintheseedbedwillalsoincreasethelikelihoodofslugattack.Themostcommonevidenceofslugattackisshreddedleaves.Slugattackismoreprevalentwherereseedingiscarriedoutbydirectdrilling.Thismethod creates slits in the groundwhichact as aprotectiveshelterforslugs.Thelikelihoodofdamagetothenewgrassplantscanbegreatlyreducedbyensuringafirmseedbedbyrolling.Mostofthemajorslugspeciescannotburrowintothesoil.Slugpelletscanbeappliedtocontroltheproblem.Usuallyapplying

slugpelletstothemarginsoffields/paddocksisadequate.Higherseedingratesshouldbeconsideredwherereseedingiscarriedoutbydirectdrillingtocounteractslugattack.

Reseeding investment Reseedingisoneofthemostcosteffectiveinvestmentsthatcanbemadeonagrasslandfarm.

Projected costs

Actual costs

€/acre (/ha)

Spraying

Glyphosate(Round-up(2litre/acre)

10(25)

16(40)

Ploughing(€30)/Till&sowing(onepass)(€40)

70(173)

Fertiliser(2.5bags×10:10:20)

Fertiliserspreading

54(134)

10(25)

Levelling 10(25)

Rolling 10(25)

Lime+Spreading(2t/ac) 24(60)

Grassseed 70(173)

Postemergenceherdicidesprays

LegumexDB-(2.8litre/ac-€18)

18(45)

Spraying 10(25)

Total Costs 302 (750)

*Both fertiliser and Lime are common grassland costs

Reseeding – what to watch for1. Patchy establishments

Oversowwithextraseedordirectdrillnewseeds

2. Mild damp autumns

Monitorreseedscloselyforleatherjacketandsluginfestations

3. Rolling

Make sure the reseed is rolled – evenpost emergence, unrolledreseeds loosemoisture fast and plants can be pulled upwhengrazed

4. Weed Infestation

Post emergence weed control is either forgotten or weatherconditionsarenotsuitable(particularlyinautumn)forsprayingandlargepopulationsofweedscanbecomeestablished.Chickweedinparticularcanbeaproblemasitwillsmothernewgrass.

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16-24

150

46Ty

rella

DJune4

2417

142

-7-28

23

Gu

ide

to r

ead

ing

the

tab

le:

Var

iety

det

ails

:Variety,P

loidy(T=tetraploid;D

=diploid),Hea

dingdate

PPI

det

ails

(Tot

al €

/ha

per

yea

r): indicates

relativeprofitabilitydifference

when

com

pared

toth

ebas

eva

lues.

PPI

sub

-in

dic

es:S

easo

nalD

Myield(sp

ring,summerandautu

mn),Quality(A

pril,May,Junean

dJu

ly),Silage

(1

stand2

ndcut),Pe

rsistency.Pe

rsistency

ismod

elledove

r12

yea

rsw

hichisinlinewithindustryp

ractice

(Creightonetal.,20

12)

Thisindicates

theec

onom

icm

erito

fea

chvarietyw

ithineac

htrait,su

mmed

tog

etherthisp

rovides

the

overallP

PIvalue.W

hen

usingth

eindex

eva

luateva

rietiesac

rosstheresu

bin

dex

values

andchoo

sethemos

tap

propriateforth

eintended

enterp

rise.

Queriesrega

rdingth

eDAFM

Rec

ommen

dedList/Pas

tureProfit

Inde

xca

nbedirected

toniall.rya

n@ag

ricu

lture.gov.ie

Notes and information

AlldatausedinthecompilationofthisIndexhasbeengeneratedfrom data within the Simulated Grazing (frequent cutting)protocol and silage yielddata fromgeneral purposeprotocol inthe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)Recommended List Trials. Only varieties that have completeda minimum of four harvest years (two sowings), in the DAFMSimulatedGrazingProtocolhaveaPPIvalueassignedtothem.

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